Home Coming
by jerseygirlinoxford
Summary: Reward story for Mod Squad Challenge. Is it true that you can never go home again? Kind of a Babe story and Morelli is not hurt or abused.


**Home Coming**

By

Jerseygirlinoxford

The drive back to Trenton seemed to take a life time. Stephanie had neither seen nor heard from anyone since she left a year ago. Then again, she hadn't even tried to make contact either. What a mess she had made of her life. Sighing, she changed the radio station for the tenth time. Not finding something satisfying, she turned it off. Now, she was left with just her and her deepest and darkest thoughts.

Stephanie had finally agreed to settle down and marry Joe Morelli. Things had gotten better between them. That, and Ranger still had kept his distance. He continued to send mixed signals…showing no signs of wanting a relationship with her. He seemed content with the sporadic moments of intimacy that they had shared. How much longer was she supposed to wait till he decided it was _someday_? Joe might not have been Mr. Right, but he was at least Mr. Right-Now. Joe loved her, but most of all, he wanted a life with her. And, he wasn't afraid of admitting his feelings about her. She didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life. She still remembered the brief hint of sadness that flashed in Ranger's eyes before his blank mask slammed into place when she told him that she was going to marry Joe. With a slight nod, he told her that Joe was a good man, and that he wanted her to be happy. Ranger surprised both her and Joe with an obscenely generous cash gift at their wedding. Ranger danced one slow dance with her, told her he would always be there for her, and then he was gone. That was the last time she had seen the Man of Mystery. Her Henry Higgins. Her Batman.

With all the history and awkwardness of the Burg looming over their heads, she and Joe had made the decision to leave Trenton. Start all over with a clean slate somewhere else. Ranger's wedding gift allowed them to put a huge down payment on a house in upstate New York. Joe easily acquired a job with the Police Department there. He had to take a demotion back to beat cop, but it was well worth it. Stephanie had gotten a job at the local bail bonds office. This time, she was the office manager and handled the paperwork as opposed to bounty hunting. Life had actually been good….for a while.

It didn't take too long to realize the Burg was the only thing they had in common. This time, there was no yelling, arguing, name calling….just a serious adult conversation about how they weren't meant to be together. They decided to sell their house, split the profit, and make a clean break. Joe wanted to stay in New York. That place really did seem to suit him. Stephanie wanted to go back to Trenton. She wanted to go home.

Home. A place that she had run away from a year ago. Funny choice of words. It wasn't really her home anymore. She'd left and turned her back on it. And, all the people that she loved and cared about, too. She heard the expression that 'you can never go home again'. But, was it really true? She knew her family would give her a hard time at first. Especially her mother. They would come around eventually. The biggest question on her mind was if Ranger was still there. She was a little disappointed that Ranger hadn't tried to contact her all this time despite the fact that she made no effort either. Well, that wasn't entirely true. It was a herculean effort _not_ to call Ranger. Keeping herself away from Ranger was the hardest thing she had ever done. She always had such a strong connection with him. Even when she wasn't in the same room with him, she could always _feel_ his presence somehow. Like their souls were linked or something. She still felt him the first few months after they moved to New York. Then it was like she woke up one morning, and his _essence_ was gone. Had he moved on? Was he with someone else? Would he still be her friend? These were the answers she needed to find out before she could move on with her own life.

With each passing Trenton sign indicating the decreasing mileage, her anxiety grew. There was an underlying, foreboding feeling that she could not shake. It was almost like she was driving to her own wake or something. She knew coming home was not going to be easy. Denial had been her close friend for a long time. Then again, she never did anything the easy way. This was something she had to do, so she was just going to have to suck it up. Unable to sit still, she began fiddling with the radio again. A blasting horn from an eighteen wheeler startled her back to reality. Shaking like a leaf, she tugged hard on the steering wheel as she swerved to miss the truck with her tires screeching like a banshee. Stephanie got the car back under control and pulled over. She watched the tail-lights of the truck in her rear view mirror till they disappeared as she waited for her nerves to calm down. Boy…that would be all she needed. Typical Stephanie home coming to get into an accident and wind up in the emergency room! The Burg grapevine would have had a field day with that one. After taking a few more minutes to collect herself, she cautiously pulled back on to Route 1 and headed for Trenton.

The streets were quiet for a Sunday morning. Except the lights and sirens of the fire trucks that roared passed her as she pulled into the city limits. Then again, Sundays were usually quiet. Families were having breakfast together, getting ready for mass, or just sleeping in late. The early morning trips to the Tasty Pastry for doughnuts and rolls would have been done by now. She pulled up to her parents' house. Grandma Mazur peeked through the door.

"Stephanie! I knew you'd come back!" she exclaimed as she hurried down the stairs. Stephanie leaped out of the car and into her grandmother's waiting arms. "I've been waiting for you. I've missed you so much."

"It's so good to see you, Grandma," Stephanie whispered as her tears fell. Breaking from the hug, Stephanie glanced at the door. Half expecting her mother to be standing there and ready to scold her for not calling. Grandma Mazur followed her gaze.

"You won't find them inside," she explained. Stephanie furrowed her brow.

"Where are they? Did they go somewhere?" Grandma nodded. How odd! _Her_ parents? _Not_ at home? Frank and Helen Plum never went anywhere. Grandma Mazur seemed to sense her confusion.

"They're all right. That son-in-law of mine is busy driving the cab these days. And, your mother started volunteering at the hospital." Interesting, Stephanie thought to herself. "I finally have time to myself!" Grandma Mazur led Stephanie inside. "So…have you seen that Bounty Hunter friend of yours yet? The really hot looking one?" Stephanie blushed and shook her head.

"No…not since the wedding," she admitted. Grandma Mazur pulled out a tin of chocolate chip cookies, and Stephanie gladly helped herself. Grandma Mazur pulled out the chair next to Stephanie and sat down.

"You and Joe were never meant to be together, Stephanie," she told her as she patted her hand. "No matter how hard you both tried, you just can't fight fate." Stephanie was stunned.

"How did you…." Grandma Mazur waved her off with a flick of her boney wrist. Of course, she would know, Stephanie mused, it was that Gypsy blood. Stephanie shrugged. "At least we were adult about it. And, we parted friends."

"You were meant to be with Ranger." Stephanie almost choked on her cookie.

"Yeah…right," Stephanie snorted. Grandma shook her head.

"He asks about you all the time. He's been waiting for you to come home, you know. You need to go see him. Now. Right now. We can visit again later." She extended her hand to Stephanie. Taking it, Grandma led her back out to her car. "I love you, Stephanie. You always were my favorite." She gave her a hug and motioned for her to go. Stephanie smiled as she got back in the car.

"I love you too, Grandma."

Stephanie made the short drive to Haywood. The building looked exactly the same as the last time she was there. She had given Ranger back the keys when she broke the news of the wedding. She planned on parking on the street, but the gate to the garage automatically opened. Big Brother must be watching. A black Escalade sat in the corner. None of Ranger's fleet of cars could be found. Damn, she thought, he's not here. She wanted desperately to see him. The urge was becoming overwhelming. She took the elevator which opened on the 5th floor. Two of Ranger's closest men, Lester Santos and Bobby Brown, sat at the monitor bay. They gave her a brief nod and pointed to Tank's office.

She found Tank sitting at his desk. He looked up as she entered. "Uh…hi, Tank. I was looking for Ranger. Is he around?" Tank gave her a sad smile.

"Sorry, Miss Plum. He's in the wind. Has been for sometime." Stephanie blew out a deep breath as she felt the crushing pressure of disappointment.

"Oh…do you know when he'll be back?" Tank shook his head.

"I'll tell him you were here," he offered. He rose from his chair and slowly walked around to the front of his desk. Looking down into her eyes, he gave her another sad smile. "He's been waiting for you, but got called away. I'm sorry." Stephanie shrugged.

"Not your fault, Tank," she replied as she patted his arm. "I'll probably be staying at my parents' for a while. Just let him know where to find me when he gets back, okay?" Tank nodded. Stephanie waved goodbye to Lester and Bobby before heading back to the garage. Something was wrong. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but this all felt off. Had being away for a year really changed things this much? It was like she was a total stranger here. Her stomach growled. Well…maybe some things will never change.

Stephanie decided to stop at Pino's. She really craved a meatball sub. It had been so long since she and Joe had eaten there. The lunch crowd on Sunday was usually non-existent. Today, it was fairly crowded. The only familiar face was Pino who was behind the counter. "Stephanie!" he called to her. "It's so good to see you. Can I get you the usual?" He came around the counter to give her a hug.

"Good to see you, Pino," she replied. "What's with the crowd?" Pino looked around and shrugged. He went back to the kitchen to make her sub. She hopped on an empty stool at the counter as her eyes scanned the crowd. A lot of older people. She didn't recognize one person there. Must be a senior citizen trip or something, she thought to herself.

She chatted with Pino as she ate her lunch. It was still early. Ranger was away. Her parents were busy. So, she decided to swing by the Bonds Office to say hello to Connie and Lula. Again, the streets were quite, with only the occasional person walking by. She pulled up and parked right in front of the office. She never had the parking karma that Ranger and the Merry Men had. Stephanie hopped out of the car and walked right into the door. She pushed on it again. Locked. Cupping her hands to the sides of her eyes, she peered inside. Not a soul. This was really strange. They were always open on Sunday. Stephanie turned and leaned against the door. "Some home coming," she muttered. Whoever said that you can't go home again was right! This was the place where she grew up. Everybody she knew lived here. Her life was here. How did she become such a stranger in a year's time? _Because this is not your home anymore_, a tiny voice in the back of her head told her.

Stephanie could no longer stand to be there. Not only did she screw up her life with Ranger and Joe, but now she didn't even have a place to come back to. She had to get out of Trenton. The urge came upon her so strongly that she thought she would explode. Point Pleasant! Yeah…the one place in the world where she was always happy. Nothing bad ever happened there. She could just sit on the beach and listen to the soothing sounds of the waves as they crashed along the sand. After she got in the car and began to drive, the sense of urgency and foreboding began to ebb. Yep…she was making the right decision. For once!

The traffic slowed a little just on the outskirts of Trenton. Stephanie could see the flashing lights of the fire trucks and police cars on the other side of the highway. Must have been a bad accident. She tried to rubber neck, but an eighteen wheeler blocked her view as the policeman waved the cars through. The rest of the drive was uneventful, and she arrived at Point Pleasant a short time later. She only wished that the sun would finally come out as it had been overcast all day. For the first time that day, she almost felt like she was home.

Stephanie took off her shoes and socks, tucked her bag under the front seat, shoved her keys in her pocket, and headed up the sand dune. Standing at the top, she took in the amazing view. The dark, grayish blue water with its white foam tips crashed against the shore line with a rhythmic beat. She breathed in the fresh, salty air deeply into her lungs. Oh yeah….this felt like home. Her overloaded senses flooded her with memories of all the times she spent here. She could almost hear the sounds of the boardwalk that came to life in the summer season. The tastes of the saltwater taffy and French fries danced on the tip of her tongue. Now, it was fall and deserted. She slowly made her way to the water's edge. Stephanie treasured the feeling of the cool sand as it filled in between the gaps of her toes. The water was too cool to go swimming, but still warm enough to get her feet wet. She loved to stand at the water's edge and let the waves wash over her feet. She could feel the powerful pull as the force of the undertow would grab the water back in the ocean and cause her feet to sink in the sand. When she began to get cold, she trudged up the sand and perched herself on the dune. It was so incredibly peaceful here. The serenity made her feel completely at ease.

Stephanie had no idea how long she sat there staring at the waves. She dreaded the thought of going back to Trenton, but she knew her time here was coming to an end. It was then that she felt that familiar tingle causing the hairs to stand up on the back of her neck. It had been a long time since she had felt that sensation. Too long. Only one person in the whole world could make her feel that way. Ranger! She turned and saw him coming towards her. Dressed in his usual black swat uniform, pants tucked into black boots. His hair had grown out some from the last time she saw him. He had it pulled back into a short ponytail. Mirrored shades hid his eyes. She just sat there and watched as he approached as she was unable to move.

"Babe," he breathed as he sat down beside her. She could see her deer in the headlights reflection in his sunglasses.

"Ranger? What are you going here? Tank said you were in the wind. Did you just get back?" she rambled on, firing rapid questions at him. He smiled.

"I'm here to take you home, Babe." Stephanie dropped her gaze to her feet and sighed.

"I don't really have a home, Ranger. Joe and I are getting a divorce. I decided to come back, but Trenton just doesn't feel like my home anymore." He tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"I'm not taking you back to Trenton, Stephanie. I think you already know that," he told her softly as he took her hand in his. "I really missed you, Babe." He took off his glasses, and with two fingers under her chin, he tilted her head back to look her in the eyes. "I love you, Babe. Always have. I didn't call you after you left because I wasn't able to. This isn't the way I had things planned for us, but now, we can finally be together." She looked deep into his eyes, and the entire day flashed through her mind like a kaleidoscope. Suddenly, everything made sense. He stood up and offered her his other hand. Glancing at his backside, there was no sand stuck to it. He never got dirty. And, his butt was still amazing. "See something you like?" Damn ESP! Blushing, Stephanie took his hand as he helped her up. He enveloped her in his arms as his lips met hers. After what seemed like an eternity, Ranger broke from the kiss.

"We have to go home now, Babe. I'm finally taking you to the Batcave…where we can be together forever." She smiled and nodded. Without a doubt in her heart and soul, Stephanie knew she made it home after all. Ranger slung his arm around her shoulders as she snaked her arm around his waist. The sun peeked through the gray sky casting an orange glow on the water. Together, they walked through the sand towards the water's edge as they faded from sight.

**Elsewhere….**

Back in Trenton, a seven story, non-descript office building sat empty for the past seven months. The floors that once housed Rangeman Trenton were now filled with dust and cobwebs. The brass plaque out front had been replaced by a realtor's _FOR SALE_ sign.

Across town, the Law Offices of Albert Kloughn had taken the place of Pino's restaurant. Pino died of a heart attack six months earlier. His family decided to close the business and lease out the space.

In Arlington, Virginia, the grass had just started to cover the earth that had been turned on four graves that were side by side. Each adorned with the American flag, and various military decorations, and personal mementos. These four soldiers had been killed in the line of duty eight months prior. Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Pierre Fortier. Lester Santos. Robert Brown.

Frank and Helen Plum had just gotten back from their Sunday ritual of placing flowers on Edna Mazur's grave when they heard the news of the terrible car accident that morning on Route 1. Eddie Gazzara was waiting for them to give them the news of Stephanie's death. Eddie knew it would be a terrible blow to the Plums' who were still grieving Edna's death from four months ago. There had been a head-on collision with an eighteen wheeler. Stephanie was killed instantly on her way home.

_**The End**_

_**Author's Note: **_**Okay….I wanted to kick off the Halloween season with a little ghostly love story. There was no way I could give a warning about character death without ruining the ending. I know I produced a "What the fart?" from Kathy, but that's okay. Kathy's blood pressure can stand a few more hits before she truly strokes out. And a special thanks to Kym and Kathy for being my test audience. And to Marilyn for all her awesome suggestions and feedback. You ladies totally rock!**

**Standard Disclaimer applies. **


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